Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Taking Bai Xiaoyu and Qin Lin out of the Tower

Strange love knowledge or tea art were skills that, due to her personality, Yan Jiu actually couldn’t master, and Bai Wu didn’t mind.

In fact, one could even say that Liu Chengzi’s inadvertent attitude toward love somewhat eased Yan Jiu’s stance on emotions.

The two of them were actually polar opposites. Although Liu Chengzi believed that the more lovers the better, once you have a boyfriend and a lover, you form a love triangle, two lovers make a square, three lovers make a pentagon. When you have enough lovers, the relationships tend to round out, resulting in fewer conflicts.

Yan Jiu didn’t think that way; to her, there was only Bai Wu. Since Bai Wu had walked in, she had been staring at him unblinkingly.

"Ahahaha, that was just an example. How could I possibly vie for men with Sister Shuang?" Liu Chengzi didn’t find it embarrassing at all.

Bai Wu nodded.

If Liu Chengzi and Yin Shuang became good friends, then it was more likely that Liu Chengzi’s boyfriend would be stolen by Yin Shuang, since Yin Shuang was single and even prettier.

If Liu Chengzi were to drown her sorrows in a bar, Yin Shuang should be the one to show up at the scene. So after some thought, this tactic seemed impractical.

But whether Yan Jiu would have any sort of corporate-level understanding was also up for debate.

It’s still the same old saying, since you’re here already.

Although Bai Wu really wanted to leave the tower and roam freely outside with Wu Jiu, since he was here already, he should at least spend some time talking to Liu Chengzi about things to be mindful of, to ensure Liu Chengzi didn’t lead the young girl astray.

By the way, he could also chat with Yan Jiu about interesting encounters outside the tower, as well as some of the boring or even more boring things inside the tower.

When it came to certain educational aspects for Yan Jiu, Bai Wu hoped that Liu Chengzi wouldn’t mold the young girl after the Sea Queen template.

Liu Chengzi stated, "Got it, do you want to carve out a pure love persona? I’m familiar with this task too, I know all the types that men like. Don’t worry,"

Liu Chengzi’s understanding made Bai Wu very calmly hand over his wallet.

"Wow, I like this style!"

To show her appreciation for Bai Wu’s gift, Liu Chengzi immediately put the Tower Currency into the wallet.

What likely followed was a picture described in five words—slap, the joy was gone.

...

...

After ending the exchanges with two completely different types of girls, Bai Wu left the Asylum.

He had rested for a few days and was now ready to head outside the tower again.

The growth of his Innate Force made Bai Wu decide to use a Traction Disc. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Cain had lived for more than seven hundred years or even longer, Bai Wu thought that perhaps this person knew some clues about the Well.

The puzzle of the world’s mutation was gradually being unraveled, but every complex puzzle shared a similarity—there is a process in which the more you know, the more confused you become.

Just like Bai Wu at the moment.

Thus, he decided to join the commander and use the Traction Disc to head to the next area.

Bai Wu was very efficient in his workings. After arriving at the Investigation Corps’ branch, he helped Yun Shu, Xue Ci, and Tian Xun solve a few cases, all of which were minor disputes at the lower levels.

What made Bai Wu slightly concerned was a case of missing persons.

All the missing were young women.

Women from the lower levels generally weren’t as beautiful as those from the upper three levels, as life here was too rough.

But the lower levels had a large populace, a vast base.

Bai Wu casually dealt with the other cases, but he paid special attention to the missing girl case.

Because the information was too scarce to further uncover clues, Bai Wu merely instructed Yun Shu and Xue Ci to follow up on the case as much as possible.

It was because Liu Chengzi’s two sisters disappeared without a trace, and whether dead or alive was unknown, after witnessing the abduction of women from lower levels by the higher-ups.

Bai Wu wasn’t sure whether this case involved the same perpetrators as the previous ones. But now that he had encountered it, he wouldn’t ignore it.

After helping the interrogation team with some tasks, Bai Wu arrived at Wu Jiu’s office.

Wu Jiu was someone who hardly had any personal entertainment. In this respect, he was very much like Liu Mu and Qin Zong.

Liu Mu’s hobby was bodybuilding, while Qin Zong and Wu Jiu didn’t have much by way of hobbies; both were highly ambitious and immersed in their work.

Wu Jiu’s workload was still quite heavy, involving not only the investigative reports from each case but also a myriad of social and ecological issues from the lower levels.

The Investigation Corps was soon to face another major event—the bi-military exercise.

This year, it was said that the Garrison Corps had recruited quite a few bizarre young experts.

In the past, before Wu Jiu joined the Investigation Corps, the Garrison Corps almost always outperformed them in these exercises, leaving the Investigation Corps utterly disgraced.

After Wu Jiu joined, he helped the Investigation Corps save face. But this year’s bi-military exercise came with an extremely disgusting requirement.

The Garrison Corps’ commander openly admitted that Wu Jiu was the strongest warrior in both armies and that the exercise would be meaningless if Wu Jiu participated.

The bi-military exercise was supposed to be a competition between top experts from both sides, a struggle to display the spirit of the legions, not to watch one person’s solo demonstration of strength.

Put simply—this year’s bi-military exercise, Investigation Corps’ Gu Qingyu, was categorically banned from competing.

Naturally, this wasn’t just for the Garrison Corps to decide. The exercises also served as a means for the administrators to gauge the current military strength, and so even Qin Zong agreed to it.

The Investigation Corps couldn’t depend on Wu Jiu anymore, which discouraged many investigators. The glory they had recently gained from the Yan Jiu missing case seemed, in their eyes, soon to be utterly lost due to the bi-military exercise.

Therefore, not just Wu Jiu, but every squad leader in the Investigation Corps was frantically going through recent investigation reports, looking for exceptional newcomers.

After all, while the focus of the bi-military exercise was indeed the battle between captains, there was also combat between the investigators and Garrison Corps soldiers.

Wu Jiu was also scouting for new talent. In his view, the most outstanding newcomer this year was Bai Wu.

But Bai Wu... after all, was still too weak to possibly change the course of the entire exercise alone.

The top experts in the Garrison Corps were actually around the same strength as Liu Mu.

With Wu Jiu unable to participate, Liu Mu became the pillar of the Investigation Corps. However, the issue was that there was more than one of such level within the Garrison Corps.

Wu Jiu and all the leaders of the Investigation Corps were preoccupied with the upcoming exercise, pondering over how to strategically triumph against the odds.

Seeing Bai Wu come in, he finally stopped his work.

"Leaving the tower?"

"Just back from the red zone, and you’re already eager to go out again?"

"No rush, after all, I’ve been here for two or three days."

Wu Jiu rarely smiled, no longer with downcast eyes.

"You’re inherently wild."

"I just dislike boredom. The area I’m going to is related to Cain."

At the mention of Cain, Wu Jiu showed some interest.

"Lately, Cain has set his sights on the captains. His original plan, his home turf, is actually outside the tower. Although this man is dangerous, if he has been alive for seven hundred years, he may know many important pieces of information about the exterior of the tower. I’ve been deliberately avoiding him before due to my inadequate strength."

"Now you’re weak as well."

"But at least I’ve been to a more dangerous area with the captain, and from my previous experiences, the next area on the Traction Disc shouldn’t exceed the Purple Zone. Cain is very important, whether it’s because his evil must be punished, or because of the intelligence he possesses."

Wu Jiu nodded. Cain was an existence he couldn’t kill without using his trump card, and just that fact alone made him far more dangerous than most criminals.

"What about the team composition for leaving the tower?"

"I want to bring Bai Xiaoyu, as well as Qin Lin, who was previously caught by the interrogation team."

"These two... are weaker than you, why not bring members of the Vanguard Group?"

"Both of them have some connection to Cain, and I’m not worried about Bai Xiaoyu undergoing Evil Fallen Transformation. With the military exercises of both armies approaching, Bai Xiaoyu is also a good prospect. As for Qin Lin, he possesses treasures that are stronger than his combat abilities."

Bai Wu believed that even if Wu Jiu knew the secret of Bai Xiaoyu’s body, he would not expose her.

Endless Nirvana, tantamount to an immortal body, but as long as one wasn’t dismembered or suffered fatal wounds, it was unlikely anyone would notice.

Most would think of other Sequences, like 351: Super-Speed Self-Healing.

Moreover, Bai Xiaoyu was close to the fourth rank, and with a bit of nurturing, she might become the dark horse of the military exercises.

As for Qin Lin, Bai Wu had calculated the timing, today was precisely the day of his Wheel of Sorrows and Joys, when his luck would surge.

Perhaps by fate, this day, Qin Lin would be released from the Investigation Corps’ prison because of something Bai Wu said.

If they were to leave the tower later, Bai Wu thought that today’s Qin Lin could at least serve as a lucky mascot. freewёbnoνel.com

After some consideration, Wu Jiu nodded and said:

"You, me, Bai Xiaoyu, Qin Lin, Lin Wurou, Yin Shuang. A six-person squad. Wang Shi and Xiaoyi are on leave. You may have other teammates in the future, but until we form a full team, it’s tradition for veterans to lead the rookies."

"Thank you, captain."

Yin Shuang had supporting abilities, and the meticulousness of a woman’s mind, while Lin Wurou’s strength was decent. The key was Lin Wurou’s row of knives for dismembering creatures, which still lacked Spirit Possession.

In Bai Wu’s opinion, Lin was an Unlucky person offered up as a sacrifice. With Lin in the team, the others’ luck would rise, combined with Qin Lin... well, this external tower investigation was set to be stable.

In the distance, Lin Wurou sneezed.

...

...

Four o’clock in the afternoon. The bottom floor, Eastern Square.

Normally at this time, the second batch of miners would have been returning, and the third batch would be waking from their slumber, ready to head to the White Zone to mine.

However, due to some clues provided by Legion Commander Qin Zong of the Investigation Corps, the management and some of the ruling class already knew that the area outside the tower was about to change.

Therefore, for the next three days, no one was allowed out of the tower except for the Investigation Corps and mercenaries.

The miners had to honestly wait for three days. It was kind of like a holiday.

The number of people at the bottom layer’s scavenging port and Fallen Street surged.

Bai Wu and the others arrived at Eastern Square.

Since they were leaving through the Traction Disc, Bai Wu chose the white stele, which was also a way to make everyone feel more at ease—not heading towards the Red or Purple Zones again.

Lin Wurou and Yin Shuang, when they learned that Bai Wu had volunteered to leave the tower, even wondered if Bai Wu had mental issues or masochistic tendencies.

These past days, Bai Xiaoyu had been training at the Investigation Corps branch, becoming much more outgoing, but she was still somewhat scared of strangers.

Lin Wurou looked at Qin Lin and Bai Xiaoyu:

"New recruit, huh? Tsk, if you’re a new recruit, don’t drag us down. I hope that this day next year isn’t commemorated for your death. After all, we’re not familiar with each other; if you die, I won’t be offering you a tribute."

Bai Wu smiled.

Was Lin a NPC? His words were exactly the same as the first time he went on a mission with the Vanguard Group, not a single word different. It made Bai Wu feel like he had gone from a new recruit to an old soldier.

"This mission might involve encountering a powerful Evil Fallen known as a ’disciple,’ but they surely won’t be stronger than the captain. Additionally, there might be some disgusting riddles hidden in the area, but everyone will get used to them in time. Anyway, leave the thinking to me. I have my own methods of judgment; you don’t need to know the process, just accept the results."

The first time he had said something like this was at the Ninth Hospital, and back then his words didn’t carry much persuasive power.

But now, Bai Wu’s performance had already earned the team’s approval.

Lin Wurou snorted coldly:

"I know it too, I’m also very smart. I’ve seen through all your deductions a long time ago. Some things are understood by those who understand; those who don’t won’t grasp them even if I explain, so I simply choose not to say anything."

Yin Shuang did not expose Lin Wurou. In her opinion, Lin Wurou’s intelligence was inversely proportional to her looks, probably on par with Shang Xiaoyi during his mad phase.

Wu Jiu looked toward Qin Lin and said:

"You’re in a position to atone for your crimes. After this investigation is over, I will write a good report for you and consider reducing your sentence."

Bai Wu was startled; the thick-browed captain was actually capable of lying.

In reality, the primary responsibility for the deaths of those miners lay with Yang Zhen, with Qin Lin merely being a tool.

Not even a tool, just simply a tool.

At least a tool knows what it’s doing, whereas Qin Lin was clueless about those miners robbed of their fortunes.

In other words, if the Wheel of Sorrows and Joys had been inside someone else, those miners would still have died.

Of course, if it had been inside Bai Wu, it would have been different; at least Bai Wu could not be exploited. So, if Qin Lin really was guilty of anything, it was the sin of foolishness.

Arriving in front of the stele, Bai Wu activated the Traction Disc, and a number quickly appeared on the stone.

A blue light engulfed Bai Wu.

The white stele emitted a blue glow, surprising the inspection officer at first, but seeing that it was Wu Jiu and Bai Wu, there was no cause for concern.

Basic operation, stay calm and enjoy the show. Who knows, this group might return through a purple stele next time.

A first-rate investigator needs to have a strong ability to adapt.

...

...

As the blue light slowly receded from consciousness, Bai Wu’s eyes reflected the surrounding scene, and the first thing he smelled was the fragrance of flowers.

Golden sunlight bathed him, giving him an almost divine glow.

As each teammate appeared, they all had the same puzzled expression when they looked ahead.

A massive manor lay before them.

Even for Bai Wu, such a grand manor had only been seen in movies from his past life, almost the size of Wayne Manor. Six separate four-story villas, neatly manicured lawns and gardens, a garage the size of half a supermarket. The statue in the central fountain was comparable to museum artwork.

Unlike most of the buildings they had seen before, the manor bore no trace of dilapidation or age, and one could even hear the sound of human conversation from inside.

[You’ve arrived at an urban legend scene outside the tower. In this scene, you won’t encounter Evil Fallen, nor will you face the negative attributes that descend every four hours, and you might even enjoy food that’s a million times tastier than the nutrition meals. Of course... all of this comes at a price. I’ll give you a piece of advice: it’s best to steer clear of this mysterious manor, because even the owners of the Wheel do not have absolute certainty that they can leave this place.]

(Finally done with this Chapter! A reader asked why the tea ceremony was so skilfully described in the last Chapter, actually Liu Chengzi has a real-life model, a friend of mine—this character Liu Chengzi in the story, is a true portrayal of them~~)